The Han Solo Movie Is Adding Another Classic Star Wars Character

Some fans are still getting over Han Solo's demise from last year's Star Wars: The Force Awakens, but in 2018, we'll be reunited with the beloved smuggler in his younger years thanks to a new spinoff movie. While Hail, Caesar star Alden Ehrenreich is the only actor who's been cast in the movie so far, this prequel will include Han's best buddy, Chewbacca. Today brings the news that another buddy of Han's from back in the day will also appear: Lando Calrissian.

According to sources who spoke to The Wrap, Lando is currently being cast for the still-untitled Han Solo movie, and his code name among the casting circles is "Chance." As the article notes, this nickname is likely a callback to Lando's gambling talents. No actors were named as potential candidates, but with shooting presumably beginning sometime early next year, it's possible reports will start coming out soon about who's being looked at. Billy Dee Williams originally played the character in 1980's The Empire Strikes Back and 1983's Return of the Jedi, and he recently reprised the role in two episodes of Star Wars Rebels.

Lando was introduced in The Empire Strikes Back as the chief administrator of Cloud City on Bespin. Although he feigned anger at seeing Han again after so many years, we quickly saw they were good buddies. Unfortunately, that friendship was fractured when it was revealed that Lando made a deal with the Empire to turn over Han in exchange for the Imperials staying out of Cloud City's business. When Darth Vader started reneging on the deal, Lando realized he made a mistake and freed Leia, Chewbacca and C-3PO, but they were unable to stop Boba Fett from transporting the newly-carbonite frozen Han to Tatooine. In Return of the Jedi, Lando helped rescue Han from Jabba the Hutt's clutches, and he later led the assault on the second Death Star as Gold Leader during the Battle of Endor.

While the pre-2014 Star Wars novels shed light on Han Solo and Lando Calrissian's past together, now that they're non-canon, the Han Solo movie has a fresh slate to expand upon their past. It remains to be seen whether the movie will show Han and Lando meeting for the first time or if they'll already know each other, but it's probably safe to assume we can count on Lando supporting the eponymous protagonist. Ideally we'll also see the moment when he lost the Millennium Falcon to Han in a game of sabacc.

Directed by Phil Lord and Chris Miller, the Han Solo movie hits theaters on May 25, 2018. If you have any ideas of who should play young Lando Calrissian, let us know in the comments below.